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Inequality in health care is unjust and immoral; Dr. Jonathan Douds (JD); Beaver County Times; March 23, 2017. According to JD, he lives in Nashville, TN. A BCT editor’s note asserts “The writer is a 2004 graduate of Hopewell High School.”
I submitted an LTE on this topic (shown below after the review) but the BCT chose not to publish it.
Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.
“‘Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhuman.’ In 1966, Martin Luther King Jr. uttered these words whose resonance can still be felt today.”
[RWC] Today’s healthcare issue is not about healthcare; it’s about control over U.S. citizens.
“As a native of southwestern Pennsylvania and a current physician, I have looked into the eyes of the uninsured and have seen the despair and agony of those who cannot afford even basic medication.”
[RWC] There must be a bunch of constitutional ways for the states to take care of “the uninsured and … those who cannot afford even basic medication” without the feds screwing over the rest of us. Why can’t each state decide how to deal with this issue?
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the uninsured rate for 2010 was just under 16%. Depending on the group conducting a survey, the uninsured rate reported can inflate the real number.
For example, a person without insurance for even a few days between jobs may be counted as uninsured for the entire year.
The number of persons covered by Medicaid tends to be underreported. For some reason, the number of persons who report Medicaid covers them is lower than that shown in Medicaid records. Another reason is some persons eligible for Medicaid don’t sign up.
I don’t have current data for this, but back in 2005 the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated approximately one million simply chose not to purchase health insurance because they didn’t feel they needed it.
“As a native of southwestern Pennsylvania and a” retired engineer, there have to be a bunch of constitutional ways to take care of “the uninsured and … those who cannot afford even basic medication” without the feds screwing over the rest of us. Why can’t each state deal with this issue?
Do I believe people who need help because of unforeseen circumstances should get it? Of course, but via private charities funded by voluntary contributions
“March 2, 2017, marks the seven-year anniversary of the historic passage of President Obama’s greatest achievement. The Affordable Care Act is a leap forward towards guaranteeing health care as a moral, just and human right.”
[RWC] There is nothing altruistic, charitable, just, or moral about empowering government to take from one family’s paycheck to pay for someone else’s healthcare. Compassion is when a person freely chooses to use his own paycheck to help someone in need. A measure of society’s compassion is not how much citizens are forced to pay; it’s about how we help those in need when not coerced.
President Obama signed Obamacare into law on March 23, 2010, not March 2nd.
Obamacare met opposition from many doctors who were not big on Obamacare. In response, then-President Obama (BHO) demonized doctors by implying they use “the reimbursement system” to guide treatment in their favor, not that of the patient. The objective? To quell physician opposition and pit the rest of us against doctors. I wonder how JD liked to hear his profession demonized by President Obama.
“Republicans plan to strip health care from the needy, while providing tax breaks to the wealthy. House Speaker Paul Ryan and President Donald Trump are so obsessed with the possibility of repealing Obamacare, they never thought about whether they should. Trump campaigned on speaking for the silent majority, yet this repeal bill blatantly betrays his voters.”
[RWC] JD has little to fear. It appears Messrs. Trump and Ryan simply want to modify Obamacare and run it themselves.
“Pittsburgh needs Obamacare. Pennsylvania needs Obamacare. And, the United States of America needs Obamacare.”
[RWC] Blah, blah, blah.
Below is my LTE as submitted to the BCT (3/24/17). As noted above, the BCT chose not to publish it.
“In his letter ‘Inequality in health care is unjust and immoral,’ Jonathan Douds wrote, ‘The Affordable Care Act is a leap forward towards guaranteeing health care as a moral, just and human right.’
“There is nothing altruistic, charitable, just, or moral about empowering government to take from one family’s paycheck to pay for someone else’s healthcare. Compassion is when a person freely chooses to use his own paycheck to help someone in need. A measure of society’s compassion is not how much citizens are forced to pay; it’s about how we help those in need when not coerced.
“According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the uninsured rate for 2010 was just under 16%. Are we to believe there wasn’t a single constitutional way to take care of ‘the [16%] uninsured and … those who cannot afford even basic medication’ without the feds messing things up for 84% of us?
“The bottom line is we need to get the government’s nose out of our medical care. A free market represents the best approach to providing the best combination of healthcare accessibility, choice, price, quality, timeliness of treatment, et cetera. That said, no approach – neither private nor public – is perfect and some people won’t be able to afford healthcare or healthcare insurance no matter how inexpensive it is. Should people in need get help? Of course, via private charities funded by voluntary contributions.”
© 2004-2017 Robert W. Cox, all rights reserved.